This week saw more $24 million in VC funding go towards AI onboarding tools, seaweed tech and more. Keep reading to learn more about the six Australian startups with fresh capital to deploy. Bodd: $15 million 3D body scanning platform Bodd has raised $15 million as it looks to expand globally. The round was led… Read more »
The largest data centre in the southern hemisphere will be built in New South Wales after local provider CDC Data Centres’s proposal received approval. The NSW government last week approved the plan for a $3.1 billion hyperscale data centre at Marsden Park, about 36km north-west of the Sydney CBD. First announced in October last year,… Read more »
Unless you’ve stayed on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X – previously known as Twitter – you probably missed an extraordinary rant from US investor Keith Rabois claiming that “Airwallex has become a Chinese backdoor into sensitive American data like from AI labs and defense contractors”. The former PayPal exec – yes he’s part of… Read more »
Paperbacked, a specialist venture studio for education founders, has launched to tackle a persistent gap in the Australian education sector: businesses that fall between under-resourced small operators and VC-backed scale-ups. Lindsey Dang, who built a seven-figure English iterature specialist tutoring business while completing dual law and arts degrees at Monash University (and is now on… Read more »
3D body scanning platform Bodd has raised $15 million as it looks to expand globally. The round was led by US strategic investor Blue Sky Capital, supported by Ellerston Capital. Existing investors, including chairman Tim Allison, director Peter Leonard, Swans director John Gerahty and his family office Liangrove Group, commodities trader Ken Loughnan and fashion… Read more »
On Tuesday, the Albanese Labor government released the long-awaited National AI Plan, “a whole-of-government framework that ensures technology works for people, not the other way around”. With this plan, the government promises an inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) economy that protects workers, fills service gaps, and supports local AI development. In a major reversal, it also… Read more »
Google Asia Pacific will pay $55 million in penalties for engaging in anti-competitive conduct over a deal it struck with Telstra and Optus to only pre-install Google Search on Android phones the telcos sold. The fine was ratified by the Federal Court today, following legal action from the competition watchdog the ACCC. The search giant… Read more »
Leigh Jasper, the serial founder who built construction software platform Aconex into one of Australia’s first tech unicorns, will deliver the keynote opening address at the Growth Summit in Melbourne in February 2026. Presented by SmartCompany and Startup Daily, in partnership with Xero, the Growth Summit is Australia’s premier event for ambitious startup and SME founders and leaders.… Read more »
As omens go, epilepsy medtech Epiminder’s ASX debut on Monday, perhaps the stock exchange’s outage to start December wasn’t the best of signs. A technical glitch meant price-sensitive announcements couldn’t be published for several hours and 50 ASX-listed companies were forced into trading halts. Epiminder’s (ASX: EPI) initial public offering (IPO) at $1.50 per share… Read more »
Melbourne workplace software unicorn Culture Amp posted losses totalling A$91.5 million (US$60m) in the last two financial years, including a $37 million (US$24.4m) loss in FY 2025. That loss and the current financial position of the 16-year-old tech scaleup were revealed in filings to the corporate regulator, ASIC, on Friday. On the upside, that’s a… Read more »
Neighbourlytics, which unpacks behavioural insights on how people use their ‘hood, has been acquired by ASX-listed REA Group. The Melbourne analytics platform, founded in 2017 by Jessica Christiansen-Franks and Lucinda Hartley, it offers real-time lifestyle and mobility data, including foot traffic, visitor trends, lifestyle personas, top destinations and accessibility to paint an informed picture of… Read more »
This week’s funding round-up features a rewards platform for small businesses, a New Zealand agritech company that is tackling methane emissions, a medtech startup pioneering a non-invasive bladder-health treatment, and an edtech venture that is helping ease the admin burden for schools and educators. Keep reading to learn more about Pay.com.au, Ruminant Biotech, Australis Scientific… Read more »
Indian online gaming platform Zupee has acquired Sydney AI startup Nucanon in a deal reportedly worth $5 million. Nucanon began life as Stori in 2022, with pre-Seed funding from Antler and high profile US investor Jason Calacanis via his LAUNCH Fund. The startup rebranded in 2023 when it raised $500,000 in a Seed round led… Read more »
Tasmanian climate tech startup Sea Forest was embraced by investors, with its shares closing up 12.5% on debut after listing on the ASX. The seven-year-old scaleup raised $20.5 million at $2 per share for a market capitalisation of $112.1 million, and rose as high as $2.42 before closing at $2.25. Sea Forest (ASX:SEA) was founded… Read more »
New Zealand tech veteran Blackpearl Group crossed The Ditch on Tuesday for a dual listing on the ASX. Blackpearl (NZX: BPG) (ASX:BPG) listed at A$0.95 per share having raised NZ$15.1 million las month, but ended its debut down 7.41% at A$0.875 for a market cap of A$83m. Blackpearl is built around Pearl Engine, a data… Read more »
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